WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, announced that the Department of Health and Human Services awarded $1.8 billion in grants to help states fight the drug epidemic, including $55.8 million for the state of Ohio.

This includes funding HHS through the State Opioid Response Grant program, formerly known as the 21st Century CURES Act, which has been used by states to increase access to naloxone and support access to long-term addiction treatment and recovery services. Portman, who fought to secure this funding in the CURES law and increase its funding as part of the SOR grant program, issued the following statement:

“This is good news for Ohio, and these new funds will help our efforts to combat the opioid epidemic that continues to grip our state. My visits to treatment and recovery facilities around the state have again highlighted the need for additional resources to support education, treatment and recovery programs that work. I was proud to help secure opioid funding in the initial CURES law and fight for more resources as part of the SOR grants. I’m pleased these additional resources are benefiting our state. This is another positive step forward, but we must do more, and that includes combating the resurgence of meth and cocaine in Ohio. My new legislation, the Combating Meth & Cocaine Act, will give states like Ohio more flexibility to use SOR grant funding to address the resurgence of meth and cocaine and I’m optimistic that we can get this done.”